Yesterday was a big day for Netflix as it launched its streaming video service in Canada, but the company has some egg on its face after it appeared as though it paid actors to pretend to be excited during the announcement.

Amazon has reportedly been aggressively talking to Time Warner, Viacom, NBC Universal, and others to start building up a new online video service that would be the only firm competitor to Netflix's instant streaming program.

Blockbuster has fought valiantly in recent years to defend itself against threats from online contenders such as Netflix, Hulu and YouTube. But now it seems as if the industry heavyweight is getting ready to throw in the proverbial towel.

Adding to its slate of support on the iPad as well a game systems, Blu-ray players, and Internet-connected TVs, Netflix has now found millions of potential new homes with support for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

While rival Netflix appears to be trying to move away from its once-core rental-by-mail service, Blockbuster is ramping up its efforts, becoming the first major player to offer both video games and movies from one centralized online account.

Seemingly not satisfied with its top spot in the free streaming video market, Youtube is beginning to experiment with pay-per-view streaming movie rentals, offering full-length motion pictures starting at $1.99.

After an initial test roll-out last month, Netflix has brought its instant streaming service to the Wii as the last of the big three consoles to offer the service's thousands of videos and TV shows on-demand.